3 realtors fell 80 trees in over 38 acres of ‘vulnerable’ land in Karnataka, booked

The landowners – S Appa Rao, S Subbayamma and Venkateshwara Reddy – have been booked under the Karnataka Forest Act and Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act of 1976, said officials of the Madikeri forest division. The 38.5 acres of land (survey numbers 540/73 and 543/74) in which the trees stood was sold to Rao, Subbayamma and Reddy over a decade ago, they said.

On learning about the violation, state environment and forest minister Eshwar Khandre Tuesday directed the forest department to take strict action against the accused.

“The said land was declared vulnerable way back in 2018. It is a landslide-prone area. Even if it is private land, it requires the forest department’s permission to fell trees,” said a forest official from Madikeri said.

Deputy Conservator of Forest A T Poovaiah said that the staff who inspected the spot confirmed that around 80 trees were cut. “A case has been registered against the landowners and action will be taken,” Poovaiah said.